Chapter 034 Cao Cao: Liu Bei slapped me twice across the face—how could I not lose my temper!

The eyes of Guan Yu and the others were all fixed upon Xiao He.

Since Yu Jin had surrendered, killing him was out of the question; it did not align with Liu Bei’s style. Using him, however, was equally impossible. After all, Yu Jin was a veteran who had followed Cao Cao since the early days—the most senior among all the generals not of the Cao clan—and his family remained in Xuchang. If one dared to employ him, he would surely seize the first opportunity to defect back. Aside from keeping him imprisoned until his death, no one could think of any other use for him.

"Had the Lord not mentioned it, I would have nearly forgotten," Xiao He said, setting down his wine cup and looking at Liu Bei. "Back on the city walls, I heard the Lord speak of Xu Yuanzhi. I wish to ask: does the Lord wish to have Xu Yuanzhi return to your service?"

At these words, Liu Bei’s face lit up with surprise, and he nodded without hesitation. "Had it not been for Cao Cao holding Yuanzhi’s mother hostage, he would never have left my side to be forced into the Cao camp. If it were possible, I naturally yearn for his return!"

Xiao He nodded slightly and asked with a smile, "In that case, why does the Lord not send an envoy to the Cao camp to trade Yu Jin for Xu Yuanzhi and his mother?"

Liu Bei was stunned for a moment, then overwhelmed with joy. The entire hall erupted in excitement; Guan Yu and the others finally grasped Xiao He’s intention.

"Yu Jin is a trusted advisor and the most senior of Cao Cao's generals. Cao Cao will surely agree to trade Yuanzhi for him!" Sun Qian said, his tone resolute and bright with hope.

"Yu Jin has served Cao Cao for nearly twenty years with great merit. If Cao Cao refuses, it will surely chill the hearts of his soldiers. Even if he is reluctant, he will have no choice but to agree," Mi Zhu added, nodding repeatedly. "My Lord, Boliang’s plan is sound!"

Liu Bei beamed, praising him effusively, "That Boliang could think of trading Yu Jin for Yuanzhi shows true foresight. Very well, very well! We shall follow Boliang’s plan and immediately dispatch an envoy to the Cao camp to exchange Yu Jin for Yuanzhi!"

With the plan finalized, Sun Qian volunteered to depart for the Cao camp immediately.

"Today, Yunchang dealt a crushing blow to Cao Cao’s navy, and now there is hope for Yuanzhi’s return. This is truly a double blessing," Liu Bei said, laughing as he raised his cup. "Come, Boliang, I must drink with you to my heart's content!"

"To tell the truth, my Lord, I have already eaten my fill while keeping Zijing company," Xiao He replied with a smile, raising his cup. "However, since the Lord is in such high spirits today, I must risk my health to keep you company!"

The lord and his subject laughed at each other and drained their cups in one go. The atmosphere in the hall grew lively as everyone drank and chatted merrily. Only Lu Su, toying with his empty cup, observed Xiao He with a subtle, contemplative look in his eyes.

*This Xiao Boliang, though not widely known, is truly a remarkable talent. His words and actions are unfathomable. Liu Xuande has already gained Kongming, and now this man as well. If our Lord wishes to contend for Jingzhou in the future, he must be extremely cautious...*

A shadow of apprehension flickered across Lu Su’s brow as he fell into deep thought.

...

In the main tent of the Cao camp:

"I have brought my army to the gates of Jingzhou for nearly a month, yet my force of 150,000 cannot take Fancheng. Now, I have lost 5,000 men of my navy. Where has my prestige gone!" Cao Cao shouted, his face ashen, as he pounded the table at his strategists.

The clever men in the tent could see that Cao Cao was growing desperate. He had destroyed the Yuan clan, crushed the Wuhuan, and swept across the north; he had been invincible. With such momentum, marching 150,000 troops south should have been like crushing dry weeds and smashing rotten wood—an easy task. Yet, they could not even breach the gates of Jingzhou, halted at Fancheng by a mere 5,000 men under Liu Bei. Not only were they stuck at Fancheng, but they had also lost their naval forces and seen their great general, Yu Jin, captured alive. For someone as arrogant as Cao Cao, receiving such slaps to the face from Liu Bei made his impatience inevitable.

The strategists offered various suggestions. Some pinned their hopes on Liu Cong and Cai Mao making progress. Others proposed sending envoys to Jiangdong to persuade Sun Quan with great profit to attack Jiangxia. Others still suggested patience, urging him to adopt the same endurance he showed at the Battle of Guandu and wear Liu Bei down. After all, Cao Cao had the entire North as his backing, a far greater advantage than Yuan Shao ever had. Liu Bei held nothing but the single city of Xiangyang. If they just kept grinding, Liu Bei would be the first to collapse.

"Liu Cong and Cai Mao are incompetent, and that green-eyed boy Sun Quan is treacherous. Inducing them to turn against Liu Bei is no simple matter—do not count on those scoundrels," Cao Cao dismissed the first two suggestions. He then scoffed, "As for your proposal to engage in a war of attrition at Fancheng, that is even more absurd. What is Liu Bei worth that he deserves to fight a second Battle of Guandu against me? My 150,000 troops have marched south; I intend to level Jingzhou and Jiangdong and unify the south within a year!"

With the final suggestion rejected, the strategists looked at one another and fell silent. Their Prime Minister’s confidence had inflated to the point where he no longer possessed the patience and perseverance he once had at Guandu. A protracted war? It was a joke.

"Yuanzhi, what is your strategy?" Cao Cao asked, turning his gaze toward Xu Shu.

Xu Shu, his face as calm as a placid lake, replied faintly, "My talents are meager. Since my colleagues have no good strategies, I am naturally at a loss."

Cao Cao swallowed hard, his anger flaring. Ever since he had tricked Xu Shu into his camp, this former chief strategist of Liu Bei had played the part of one who was deaf and dumb, offering not a single plan. Cao Cao knew Xu Shu’s heart remained with Liu Bei, but feeling a sense of guilt, he could only turn a blind eye. He had no choice; he had used dishonorable means to force Xu Shu into his service by holding his mother hostage. If not for the lack of any other viable plan, Cao Cao would never have been so desperate as to ask Xu Shu for advice.

"At a loss? Hmph!" Cao Cao sneered. "I suspect that even if you had a strategy, Yuanzhi, you would keep it to yourself."

After this jab at Xu Shu, Cao Cao glanced at Jia Xu. "Wenhe, what is your strategy? Must I ask you before you speak?"

Stung by the sarcasm, Jia Xu coughed and said, "The Prime Minister misunderstands. It is not that I have a plan I refuse to share; it is that while I have conceived of one, there is a difficulty I cannot resolve, and thus I dared not speak without cause."

Cao Cao’s eyes lit up. "What is your plan, Wenhe? Speak it so we may all consider it." All eyes shifted to Jia Xu.

"Looking at the current situation, there is little hope of taking Fancheng quickly. And with our navy destroyed, we have lost the opportunity to bypass Fancheng and seize Xiangyang," Jia Xu said, stroking his thin, half-white beard unhurriedly. "After much thought, the only way to achieve a swift victory is to lure Liu Bei into taking the initiative to lead his army across the river to fight us."

"Once he does, we will have the chance to deal a heavy blow and annihilate his main force. With his main force gone, the morale of the defenders in Fancheng will surely crumble, and our assault will be like sweeping away dead leaves. Once Fancheng falls, Xiangyang will be within our grasp!"

The atmosphere in the tent suddenly stirred with excitement. Cao Cao’s expression shifted from dark to bright, and he nodded repeatedly. "Wenhe’s plan to lure the snake out of its hole is indeed a brilliant strategy to break this stalemate!"

However, Jia Xu sighed and added, "The greatest difficulty of this plan is how to lure Liu Bei across the Han River."